Many people who are ready to start therapy would like the option of talking to a therapist online. Virtual therapy is also known as telehealth, video counseling, or online counseling. Telehealth is a booming business that is evident from the many commercials offering people the ability to connect with a therapist through an app. Some insurance companies are allowing providers to use virtual therapy versus in-office sessions. There are many considerations in creating and expanding a virtual practice. Here are important points to review before jumping into online work. Virtual Practice Benefits

This week, our free MFT Clinical exam practice question is going to focus on the topic of anxiety disorders. Most of us have worked with individuals diagnosed with some form of these DSM diagnoses. This will be extremely helpful during the exam. Most of us can also relate to having experiencing anxiety here and there, too. Regardless of how much or how little you already know about this subject, the Therapist Development Center’s exam prep will ensure you know everything need to correctly answer questions on this topic. How might this topic be tested? Whether you are taking the California MFT

This month’s free California law and ethics practice question will test your knowledge on HIPAA. What is HIPAA? HIPAA, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 has been around for more than two decades. The law is so complex, that even 20+ years later, it’s still difficult for many MFTs and social workers (not to mention other health care providers) to navigate. Not a day passes without at least one HIPAA-related question showing up in my inbox. While this blog cannot cover everything you need to know about HIPAA, it will provide you an opportunity to test your knowledge

Every now and then I’ll receive a question asking what 'LCSW' means or how being an LCSW differs from an MFT. The term LCSW stands for licensed clinical social worker. What exactly is a licensed clinical social worker? An LCSW is someone who has graduated from an accredited social work master's program, completed supervised clinical hours, and passed the ASWB’s clinical licensure exam. This is the highest level of social work licensure a person can obtain. When social workers move from being unlicensed (or provisionally licensed) to fully licensed clinicians, some significant changes occur

As clinicians, we often learn something new every day. Education comes from experience in the clinical setting and our quest for continued learning in the field. One area that many clinicians need to continue to grow is working with LGBTQIA+ clients. I use LGBTQIA+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual, plus) acronym because I feel like it is more inclusive. Often you will see LGBT, LGBTQ, LGBTQI, and other acronyms for the community. As a clinician, advocate, and ally, I wanted to share a few mistakes that some providers make when working with the community. Mistake

One of the subjects that could be tested on your California Law and Ethics Exam is the topic of Professional Will. This is a difficult topic to broach, as it speaks to our personal vulnerabilities. As a consequence, many therapists avoid it all together. However, it is a critically important part of client care and ethically required. If you have clients, you must have a clear plan in place for them in case of planned or unplanned absences. If a professional will is not in place, client’s can suffer greatly. Regardless of how much or how little you already know about the topic of professional

Negative reinforcement and positive reinforcement are two concepts from behavioral therapy that are likely to show up on the ASWB’s exams (both LMSW and LCSW). While we previously wrote a blog with a practice question and rationale on this topic, today we want to take a few minutes to hone in specifically on negative reinforcement examples, as this is one of the most misunderstood behavioral principles. Reinforcement In operant conditioning, the word ‘reinforcement’ refers to strengthening (increasing) a desired behavior. So if I want a child to complete his chores, do his homework, etc., I

This month’s free law and ethics practice question will test your knowledge on therapy records. Regardless of where you work, (agency, private practice, county mental health, etc.) therapy records are a must! Therapists must maintain therapy records that meet the standard of care; without them, therapists are vulnerable to legal liability. There are a variety of ways this topic can be tested on your California law and ethics exam. Here are some common questions: How long must records be retained? Who has access to client records? What should be included in therapy records? Who owns therapy

This week, our free MFT Clinical exam practice question is going to focus on the topic of depressive and bipolar related disorders. Most of us have worked with individuals who have been diagnosed with some form of these DSM diagnoses, which will be extremely helpful during the exam. Yet, not everyone has witnessed (or experienced) working with clients exhibiting symptoms associated with the diagnoses of Bipolar I or Bipolar II. Regardless of how much or how little you already know about this subject, the Therapist Development Center’s exam prep will ensure you know everything you need to

As a clinical sexologist and certified sex therapist, I get asked many questions every week about sexuality. I find that many people struggle with shyness or uncertainty when discussing sex because it is viewed as a taboo subject. I appreciate people who want to learn more and find the answers they are looking for. People’s views of human sexuality are often affected by how they were educated about sex and their experience, or lack thereof with sexuality. Through the years of working with individuals, couples, and families there are a few questions that continue to surface. Here are the three